Do I really need to hone the cylinder
 

I am installing my stage 2 right now and it says I should hone the cylinder?? I looked and the cylinder is smooth with no scratches??
Should I do it anyways? or am I fine??

Do I really need to hone the cylinder
 

Hone it! Have someone do a lite hone on a boring machine. DO NOT DO IT WITH A DRILL!!!!!!!!! Aluminum cylinders are very particular.

Do I really need to hone the cylinder
 

the cylinder wall has a nikasil coating.

Do I really need to hone the cylinder
 

general speaking yes its the best thing to do. it doesn't take long for a shop to do it, its cheap, and the fresh hone serves to seat the rings with a very good seal. not honing supposedly will make the ring seat of the new piston not as good.
it is surprising to see how hard the nicasil is - my cylinder wall still showed the original factory honing marks after 120 hours when I did my rebuild. it looked just like a cylinder that had been freshly honed, with no signs of use!

Do I really need to hone the cylinder
 

ya,
I am not sure what to do..
mine looks perfect..

Do I really need to hone the cylinder
 

If you have less than 50 hours you may be ok. Costs about 20 bucks to have a machine shop do it and takes about 5 minutes. Beleive me! It is worth the extra time and money to make sure your motor is done correctly the first time.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Do I really need to hone the cylinder
 

So its ok to hone the nikasil coated cyl? I'm planning to swap in a higher comp piston on my DS. I've been told to use my stk rings on the higher comp piston(CP, bought used), that way they are already seated to the cyl(as long as they are clocked correctly). I had never heard of doing this before. My motor has around 25-30 hrs on it...

Do I really need to hone the cylinder
 

NEVER!!!! Use old rings on a new piston. You will be ok with your cylinder not being Honed with that little of hours on it.

Do I really need to hone the cylinder
 

Well, it would be used rings(outa my cyl) on a used higher comp. piston(bought it used). I've built many car and bike motors, but never heard of doing this. I can't see putting new rings(on a "old" piston) w/o honing the cyl either. I suppose i could have the cyl honed and put the rings that came with the piston in...???

Do I really need to hone the cylinder
 

you can get a new ring set for that piston